Outkast is a hip-hop duo from Georgia that consist of Andre "Andre 3000" Benjamin from Atlantaand Antwan "Big Boi" Patton of Savannah. They have been labeled the most successful hip-hop duo of all time with respectfully earning six Grammys even surpassing Reverend Run's group, Run DMC. This dynamic duo has sold more than 25 million copies from their eight album releases. They have had six studio albums, a greatest hits albums and Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below, which consisted of solo performances by each member of the group. When Outkast first started out their style of music was a combination of “Dirty South” and “G-Funk” (Gangster Funk) music. However, overtime the duo has branched out and fused their music with the sounds of soul, pop, rock, jazz, blues, and electronic sounds.
The two met when they were in high school at Tri-Cities High School, which was a visual and performing arts school. They were tracked down by producers, from the Atlanta area, Organized Noized, who also produced for another popular group, TLC.Originally the group wanted to be named “2 Shades Deep” or the “Misfits”, however someone else had those names and since “outcast” was a synonym for “misfit” and they took that name. Eventually Outkast, Organized Noize, and classmates Goodie Mob created the Dungeon Family Organization. After that, Outkast hit the ground running and never stopped with the hits. They consistently reached top positions in the Billboard and 200 albums charts and the Billboard Hot 100 charts. With every album came a Grammy. However, it is ashamed that no one can ever reach this level of success without controversy. In 1999 both LaFace Records and Outkast was sued by Rosa Parks due to lyrics in one their song that had Parks’ name in it. The line was part of the chorus and said “Ah ha, hush that fuss/ Everybody move to the back of the bus.” Outkast claimed that the line was a “metaphor” implying that they were getting rid of the old hip hop sound, and saying it is time to create a way for a new order in the genre. After dismissed lawsuits and denied appeals by judges, the lawsuit was finally settled without any recovery for Parks and her lawyers. Neither Outkast nor LaFace confessed to any “wrongdoing”, but Outkast said they would make a tribute to Parks. The conflict lasted from 1999-2003.
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In 2006 there were rumors of breakup between the two, but those rumors were shutdown, and it was said that Outkast was “still tight”. A year later Andre 3000 verified that there would be a new Outkast album, however the two were going to put out solo albums first, while the group album would be ready in two years. Those albums have yet to be released.
The two met when they were in high school at Tri-Cities High School, which was a visual and performing arts school. They were tracked down by producers, from the Atlanta area, Organized Noized, who also produced for another popular group, TLC.Originally the group wanted to be named “2 Shades Deep” or the “Misfits”, however someone else had those names and since “outcast” was a synonym for “misfit” and they took that name. Eventually Outkast, Organized Noize, and classmates Goodie Mob created the Dungeon Family Organization.
After that, Outkast hit the ground running and never stopped with the hits. They consistently reached top positions in the Billboard and 200 albums charts and the Billboard Hot 100 charts. With every album came a Grammy. However, it is ashamed that no one can ever reach this level of success without controversy. In 1999 both LaFace Records and Outkast was sued by Rosa Parks due to lyrics in one their song that had Parks’ name in it. The line was part of the chorus and said “Ah ha, hush that fuss/ Everybody move to the back of the bus.” Outkast claimed that the line was a “metaphor” implying that they were getting rid of the old hip hop sound, and saying it is time to create a way for a new order in the genre. After dismissed lawsuits and denied appeals by judges, the lawsuit was finally settled without any recovery for Parks and her lawyers. Neither Outkast nor LaFace confessed to any “wrongdoing”, but Outkast said they would make a tribute to Parks. The conflict lasted from 1999-2003.
Work Cited:
. "Outkast." Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. 21/11/2008. GNU Free Documentation License. 24/02/2010 <http://www.last.fm/music/OutKast>.
. "it's me!!." . . . 24/02/2010 https://www.student.gsu.edu/~mcash2/music(2).html.
TheSocs. "Outlast pictures: spapin." Last.fm Ltd. 11/21/2008. . 02/28/2010 <http://www.last.fm/music/OutKast/+images/40253805>.